Tentering and drying machine



July 2, 1929. c. c. KENY ON TENTERING AND DRYING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 2, 1929. c. c. KENYON TENTERING AND DRYING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 W on y 1929. c. c. KENYON v TENTERING AND DRYING MACHINE eteegea July 2.1929."

CHARLES C. KENYON, OF SOIEBV'ILLE, NEW JERSEY.

TENTERING AND DRYING IACHINE.

Application filed m 11, ieas. Serial No. 210321.

Thisin'vention relates to tentering and drying machines, and to a process of tentering and drying cloth- A Generally stated, the invention provides a 5 tentering and drying machine having aloe-a1 ized heating unit, for heating the air used for drying the cloth. The air leaves the heat ing unit in a series of streams at temperatures which vary in accordance with the quantity 1 of moisture of the layersof cloth whereto the streams'ofair are supplied.

One object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described having im-. provedmeans to cause the circulating air to pass between the layers of cloth.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved device of'the class'al- 'ludgd to comprising a localized heating unit for the air.

Another object ofthisinvention is to provide a device of the nature set forth where-.- l in improved means supplies streams of air from a heating unit-to aseries of layers of cloth, the streams of air varying in temperathe amount of moisture in the respective layers.

A further'object of ,the invention isito cr'eate a device' of the character set forth, in which the means governing the flow of air be-, 'tween the layers of cloth has improved coac- .tion with the tenterin means'.

Another object of the invention is the roduction of adevice of the nature specified having improved means to cause the air to have a swirling flow between the layers of cloth.

A furtherobject of the invention is to furnish a tentering and drying machine having asoc-iated in ail-improved manner therewith a device for coolingthe cloth.

A further object of'the invention resides in the provision of a tentering and drying machine having an improved air circulatory system.

vention will become apparent as the specification proceeds. l

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations I and arrangements of parts 'hcreinafter deture with the moisture content of the layers improved means furnishes the air in different volumes to the'layers of cloth, according to scribed -in their preferred embodiments,

pointed out in thesubjoinedclaims, and illustrated on the annexeddrawing, wherein section taken on tures and instrumentalities thereof are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices maybe produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled .in the art to which'the invention appertains, that the samemaybe incorporated in several dif-.-

ferent' constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

The volume andvelocity of flow of the several' streams'difier with the moisture content of 'thelayers of cloth. The air is caused to' flow wholly between the layers of cloth,

the layers of cloth, which'casing is adjustable to suit any width of the cloth upon which the machine may be operating. The means discharging the air between the layers of cloth causes the airtoswirl and eddy so as to pass substantially through. the entire spaeebetween the layers. After leaving the auxiliary casing,"part of the air is recirculated through the machine, while rt thereof is' expelled. After being .drie the cloth is passed through a unit wherein cool air is circulated to cool the cloth. This cool air is supplied by the same fan which furnishes the air for drying the. cloth. An auxiliary fan removes a portion of the moisture laden airfrom the inachine, so that a uniform and constant circulation is obtained in all parts thereof. In connection with the said ma-- Other objects and advantages of the in-'.

chine, an improved process for tentering and manne is indicated.

notes a. device embodying the invention. The

same comprises a casing 11 having side walls 12, afront end wall 13, a rear end wall 14,

and a top 15. These walls are made of a thin respective rollers 16 and 17 lie in vertical planestransverse to thecasing 11, and the rollers-at one end of'the machine are staggered with respect to those at the opposite end, so that a uniform and continuous series of layers maybe formed on passing the ma tezrial 19 successively about the rollers 16 and 1 The rollers 16 and -17 are preferably telescopic for a purpose hereinafter described, and are mounted on shafts 20 which are journaled for rotation in bearings 21 -"at the sides of the casing. On rotating a roller 17, as, for example, by means of a ear train 22, the material is fed through the casing as indicated by arrows a. The material enters the casing 11 at an upper portion thereof at 23, pa sing over a roller 24, and leaves the casing at thebottom thereof at 25, after passing over a roller 26.

Coacting with the rollers aforementioned are means to stretch the material, while the same is moving through the machine. The said means includes an endless chain 27 at each side of the machine,whi ch chain follows along the dot dash lines 19, coinciding with the several layers of the material. Each chain 27 is guided at the ends of the rollers by anymeans at 27 well known in the art, and therefore not shown. Auxiliary rollers 28, 29 and 30 guide the said chains in their travel into and out of the casing 11.

The chains 27 engage the side edge portions of the cloth by means of hooks, or the like, the nature of which is well known. Accordingly, the said chains are effective to stretch the cloth in a'widthwise direction. The material is attached to the chains externally of the casing 11. Since the chains move apart from each other up to the points 31, as indicated by the diverging members 27*, the cloth may be stretched accordingly. Thereafter, the chains retain the cloth taut while it is being dried.

- At the roller 26, the cloth is automatically disengaged from the chains 27, owing to the diffent paths assumed by each, since thechains follow the roller 28 while the cloth by the roller 33.

In order to take care of materials ofvarying widths, the chains 27 may be set at any desired distance apartfrom one another, and likewise the rollers 16, 17 may be lengthened or shortened, correspondingly. The first reis received sult is accomplished by adjusting the guides 27, 27", which are actuated by the vertical screw bars 34 and 35, which are disposed within the casing 11 and in proximity to the sides thereof. The said screw bars are set by means of the left-hand, right-hand screws 36, 37 coacting with the respective screw bars. These said screws 36, 37 extend horizontally through the machine, a plurality of these being pro-' vided to co-operate with each screw bar. To actuate the screws, certain ends thereof projectoutside the casing 11, and are provided with gears 38, the teeth of which mesh with worms 39 on the horizontal shafts 40 and 41. These shafts are interconnected by sprockets 42 and chain 43-. The shaft 41 extends to the front end of the machine at which it is provided with a sprocket 44. A chain 45 interconnects the' latter with a sprocket 46 on a shaft 47.

On the shaft 47 is mounted a pulley 48 connected by a chain 49 to a motor 50. It will be seen, therefore, that the motor is operative to turn the screws 36, 37 to adjust the screw bars 34, 35 for setting the chains 27, according toany width of the cloth which the machine is intended to handle. At the front end of the machine, a left-hand, right-hand screw 51, operated by a hand wheel 52, permits the guides 27 to be adjusted for a desired spacing.

In order to dry the cloth, preheated air is supplied to the spaces 53, 54 between the layers thereof. The cloth simultaneously travels through the machine so that it is dry when it leaves .the same. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the upper layers of cloth contain the most moisture, and that the moisture content decreases constantly toward the lower layers of the cloth.

A centrifugal fan 55, driven by a motor 56, blows air into a duct 57 at the'bottom of the casing 11. The said duct is formed by a hori- 3 zontal wall 58 extending from side to side of the casing 11, and a vertical end wall 59. At the opposite 'end of the duct, is a curved plate 60 to deflect the air upward through an opening 61 in the plate 58, into a heating unit 62. The latter extends vertically, and in a transverse direction to the layers of cloth, into proximity to the top. of the casing 11. While the heating unit may be of any well known construction, it consists preferably of a series of coil 63, through which is passed a heating medium, such, for example, as steam. The coils 63 extend in a horizontal direction, and may be separately controlled by valves (not shown) so that various temperatures may be obtained in different parts of the heating around the coils 63.

The heatingunit 62 maybe positioned directly within the casing 11 at the end 14 thereunit. The'air is heated by passing up and of, .being'enclosed therein by a vertical wall eddying flow. This insures a circulation of and from the to 15 of the casing to the lower plate 58 thereof? Formed in the plate 64 in proximity to the sides of the casing, are a plurality of openings 65. These constitute two series that extend in a vertical direction, and may be in alinement with the spaces 54 between the layers of the material that is being dried. The heated air leaves the unit 62 through these openings 65, and the volume thereof may be ad justed by slidable regulators or doors 66.

Thus the air is tapped from the heating unit at a plurality of spaced points in its path of' travel therethrough so that streams of air are obtained at different temperatures, corresponding with the length of travel of the air through the heating unit, or the period of time spent therein. Obviously, the air stream leaving the top of the unit will be at the highest temperature, the temperatures for the several streams decreasing toward the bottom of the machine.

On leaving the heating unit, the air enters the vertical ducts67, which are narrow and of comparatively limited cross sectional area. These ducts are formed between the portions 68 of the sidewalls of the casing 11, and the members 69.

The latter may constitute part of the side plates 70 which are attached to the screw bars 34 and form an auxiliary casing about the layers of material, extending from the top 15 of the main casingto the bottom plate 58 thereof. A plurality of plates 71, 72 having sliding engagement with each other, are secured to the portions 67 of the main casing 11 and to the side walls 70 of the said auxiliary casing, forming wallsfor the ducts 67.

Formed in the plates 69 are a plurality of vertically spaced openings 73, corresponding in elevation with the several spaces 54 into which they discharge streams of air.v Due to the angularity of the lates 69 and consequently of the openings 73 with respect to the spaces 54, the streamsof air flow thereinto in the direction of arrows b so as'to impinge against each other and produce a swirling and the air throughout thespaces 54, with a consequent uniform drying of the material. Angular orifices 73 may also be formed in the plate 64.

To supply air to the spaces 53 between .the layers of the material, a plurality of vertical spaced openings 74 are providedin the plates 7 O. This permits air from the ducts 67 to discharge into the aforesaid spaces in opposing streams, indicated by arrows c, which produce aneddying flow of the air through the spaces 53. As a result a uniform and efficient drying A of the material is obtained.

Since the air leaving the heating unit flows in a series of comparatively direct paths through the openings 73,74 into the spaces between the layers, the .air streams are so utilized for drying the material that the temperaturesof the air streams Vary with the moisture content of the material at the several layers thereof.

To permit adjustment of the openings 73 and 74, slidable door members 5, 76 are provided, which may be set to discharge any desired quantity of air into the spaces 53, 54.

It. is contemplated that volumes of air passed into the spaces 53, 54, vary with the moisture content of the material at the said spaces. The plates 70 are disposed in proximity to the edges of the layers of material that is be ing dried, so as to confine the air to the spaces 53, 54 and prevent the air from flowing between the said edges and the Walls 12' of the main casing. Being secured to the screw bars 34, as above specified, the plates 70 are movable therewith when the machine is adjusted for a' material of a different width. The plates 70 therefore function regardless of the width of the material that is being treated. Likewise the joints at the members 71, 72 are always effective as closures for the ducts 67, Since the members 69 are movable with the plates 70, the air is always discharged at the proper angle therethrough.

The air in thespaces- 54 passes therefrom through openings 77in the plates 7 0, into the vertical ducts 78, 79, as shown by arrows d. The air in the spaces 53, on the other hand, passes into the chamber in the front end of the casing 11, and flows downward there-.

through as shown by arrows e. .The air in the ducts 78, 79 and in the chamber 80 intermingles beneath the lower plate 58 of the machine and enters duct 81 through openings 82 and 83 at both sides of the casing 11, as is clearly indicated by arrows f and g. The duct 81 conveys the air to a plenum chamber 84, which communicates with the suction side of the fan 55. The air, having-a part of its the air in the chamber 80 so that fresh air may be supplied to the machine .to retain the circulating air from becoming saturated.v

The fan 85 exhausts through a' plenum chamber 86, and is driven by the motor 50. The

drive includes sprockets 87, and 88 on the fan shaft and on the countershaft 47 respectively, these beinginterconnected by a chain 89. A clutch 90-permits the motor to drive me either the fan 85 or to turn the screw 37, as may be desired.

Associated with the machine, is a unit 91 passed on entering the unit through the opening '95 in the wall 13. The said-cloth the opening 96,

I the heater 62 before entering the drying chamber.

In the practice of this invention, it' is intended that the regulators '66, 75, and 76 be given merely an initial adjustment, after which they may be retained in the position in which they were originally set, without further attention. a

To afi'ord access to' the said regulators, doors 97 may be provided at the adjacent portions of the sides of the casing. The slid izng doors 98 afiord entrance to the ducts Within the scope of the invention, the heating unit may be placed at a side of the machine, and the air circulatory system modified accordingly. This arrangement may possess considerable utility particularly where the length of the machine maybegreater, and may comprise, for example, aplurality of tentering and drying units'placed end to end. The length of the path of travel .of the air, between the layers of material, can, in such a construction, be kept within a predetermined limit for efficient functioning of the machine.

1. A device of the character described, in-

cluding a casing, means therein to support a material in spaced layers, means to move the material through the casing, means :to

' feed air to the layers to dry the material, andmeans to heat the said air, the air feeding means supplying the air in decreasing volumes to the layers in accordance with. the decrease in the moisture content of the layers of material.

2. A device of the character described, in-

cluding a casing, means therein to support a material 1n spaced layers, means to move the 7 material through the casing, means to feed air ,to the layersto dry the material, and means to heat the said air, the air feeding means supplying the air in streams of decreasing velocities to the layers in accordance with the decrease in the moisture content of the layersiof material.

3. A tentering and drying machine comprising means to support a material folded in spaced'layers, and to feed the material,

' through the machine, said means serving to stretchthe material, other means to supply air in streams impinging against one another at an angle to the spaces between the layers to dry the material, the said spaces being substantially unoccupied to receive a maximum volume of air, and means to heat the air to different temperatures. for the different layers'in accordance with the moisture content of the said layers, forefiicient absorption of moisture.

4. A device of the character described, including a tentering and drying machine to stretch and dry a material with heated air, and a unit to cool the material with cool air, said unit passing its air into the machine, said unit directly receiving the material from said machine, and supportng the outgoing material in a plurality of spaced la ers.

5. A device of the character descri ed, including a tentering and drying machine to stretch and dry a material with heated air,

and a unit to cool the material with cool air,-

layers, and in parallel relation thereto, a sec-,

ond duct communicating therewith and extending transversely of the layers, said second duct discharging air to the spaces between the layers, a third transverse duct re mote from the second duct to receive'the air from between the layers and to return the same to the first duct.

' 7. A tentering and dryingv machine'comprising means to support a material in spaced pluralityof layers to layers, and to feed the material through the machine, said means serving to stretch the material, means to supply air in streams to the layers to dry the material, and means to heat the air, the means supplying the air inclu'dinga duct communicating: with said heating means, auxiliary means to supply the air from the heating means directly to the spaces between the layers, and another duct extending transversely to the-layers remote from the first duct to receive-the air from the layers.

8. A tentering and drying machine comrising means to support a material in spaced ayers, and to feed the mate-rial through the machine, said means serving to stretch the material, other means to'supply air to the layers to dryv the material, a heating unit to heat the air, and means to cool the material after drying,'the means supplying the air including a duct communicating with the heating means and extending transversely to the layers to supply the'air to the spaces therementioned to receive the air from between the layers, a third duct to return a part of the air from the second duct to the heating for materials of arying Width, the streams of air being supplied at constantly decreasing temperatures with the decrease in the moisture content of the layers of material.

10. A tentering and drying machine including means to support a material in spaced layers, means to feed the material through the machine, means to stretch the material, and means to supply preheated air to the spaces between the layers to dry the material, the last mentioned means supplyingthe air in streams decreasing in volume and temperature with the decrease'in the moisture content of the material of the adjacent layers.

11. A process of drying a pliable material which includes forming .the material into spac (1 continuous layers, moving the material ontinuously in layers, and feeding heat: ed air to the spaces between the layers in streams decreasing in velocity with the decrease in the moisture content of the material at the respective'layers.

12. A process of drying a pliable material which includes forming the material into spaced continuous layers, moving the i'haterial continuously in layers, and feeding heated air to the spacesbetween the layers at one end thereof in streams decreasing in temperature and volume with the decrease in the moisture content of the material at the respective layers, said streams entering certain of the spaces laterally of the longitudinal direction of the layers, and at both sides of each of the spacesreferred to, and" entering the alternate spaces longitudinally of thelayers,

13. A device of the character described,i neluding a casing, means therein supporting a material folded in spaced layers, means to feed the material through the casing, and,

promote a swirling flow of the air.

14. A tentering and drying machineccmprising a main casing means .to support .a material in a plurahty' of spaced layers,

means to feed the material through said main casing, means to stretch the material, the stretching means being adjustable according the width of the material, means to supply preheated air to the spaces-between the layers to dry the material, and an auxiliary casing to confine the air within said spaces, said auxiliary casing being adjustable according to the width of the material, said auxiliar and main casings co-operating to form a uct therebetween for the flow of the air.

"15. A tentering and drying machine comprising a. main casing, means to support a materials in a plurality of spaced layers, means to feed the material through said main casin means to stretch the material, the stretc ing means being adjustable according to the widthof the material, means to supply preheated air to the spaces between the layers to dry the material, and an auxiliary casing to confine the air within said spaces, said auxiliary and main casings having an expansible connection with each other forming a duct between the casings for the air. 16. A tentering and drying machine comprising a main casing, means to support a material in a plurality of spaced layers, means to feed the material through said main casing, means to stretch the material, the stretching meansbeing adjustable according to the width of the material, means to supply air to the spaces between the layers to dry the material, a heatingunit to heatthe air, means to confine the air within said spaces, said heating unit having the air therein traveling in a direction transverse to said layers, said heating unit ermitting a flow of air-therefrom at a plurality of spaced points in'the path of travel of the air corresponding to said spaces, to furnish streams of air of temperatures decreasing with the decrease in the moisture content of the material of the adjacent layers, and a duct into which the streams of air discharge, said duct sup- I plying the air in streams to the spaces between the layers ofmaterial, as aforesaid. 17. A device of the character described to receive a hot dry fabric as it'leaves a tentering and drying machine, said device, havinv means to support the fabric in a plurality o? spaced layers, and including associated means to cause a flow of cool air between the said layers.

18. A device of the character described, including a main casing, means therein to support ainaterial in'a plurality of spaced, folded layers, an auxiliary casing to receive the. dried material from said main casing, 120

means to supplycool air tosaid auxiliary casing, heating means, a duct to pass the air from the said auxiliary casing to the heat--- ing means, and other means to supply the including a casing, means therein to Support a material in spaced layers, means to move plying the air in decreasing volumes to the spaces between the layers in accordance with the decrease in the moisture content of the said layers, and means to confine the air to said spaces and cause the air in all of said spaces to flow in the same longitudinal direction with respect to the layers.

20. A device of the character described,

including a casing, means therein to support a material in spaced layers, means to move the material through the casing, means to feed air to the consecutive" spaces between the layers to dry the material, and means to heat the said air, the air feeding means supplying the air in streams of increasing velocities to the layers in accordance with -the decrease in the moisture content of the said layers, the air being confined to said spaces and flowing in the same direction in the consecutive spaces.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES C. KEN YON. 

